32–35 Weeks: What to Expect From Your Kitten

Parasites 101: Flea and Tick Control

Fleas and ticks are more than just an annoyance. Fleas are the main vector for tapeworms, and ticks carry human-infecting illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The best way to control fleas and ticks is to prevent them from infesting your kitten in the first place, and the most effective prevention available today comes in the form of monthly “spot on” treatments. Here is a list of common topically-applied flea and tick treatments.

Medications that control fleas only include Advantage, Promeris Feline, and Vectra for Cats.

None of these medicines can be given to kittens younger than 8 weeks old. Do not use flea control products designed for dogs on cats! Although some of these products may have the same formula for both cats and dogs, many do not. For example, Vectra 3D, the dog version of Vectra for cats, has an extra ingredient that is highly toxic to cats.

Spot-on treatments should not be given at the same time as other treatments such as flea baths, flea powder, or flea collars.

Advice from Other Cat Owners

Indoor Cats DO Need Rabies!!

I just thought I'd add a note here because I keep seeing people advise that indoor-only cats do not need to be vaccinated for rabies when they DO need it.

Case in point: Just last month my partner and I were sitting in our room when a brown bat came swooping in over our heads with our kitten hot on its tail. Bats are one of the top carriers of rabies.

Also, say one day your kitty gets away from you or something unexpected happens. If your cat gets rabies it's dead, plain and simple. If I were going to pick a vaccine to not worry about with indoor cats it would be the feline distemper or FVRCP, NOT rabies.

I work at a veterinary clinic, and while my boss would like everyone to vaccinate for everything, most of the staff only vaccinate their indoor cats for rabies.